Royal beauty secrets

OVER THE YEARS

Radha Prathi narrates tales of beauty – of princesses and maids, describing how you too can have a regal glow by adhering to certain simple, yet effective natural skincare regimens

Classical tales invariably brim over with beautiful women with tailor-made features that have the ability to change the lives of the people around them. Helen of Troy and Cleopatra managed to change the course of history with their looks. But what is highly doubtful is if the beautiful women from fairy tales, mythology and history ever used beauty soaps and branded cosmetics to enhance the glow of their skins.

That does not mean that they did little or nothing towards the upkeep of their epidermis. They sourced their skin toners, scrubbers and beauty masks from nature. A bedtime story narrated in our family encapsulated a beauty regime. The tale talks of a beautiful princess in ancient Magadha and her even more beautiful maid. The curious princess was eager to learn the beauty secret of her maid’s enviable skin. Her pride would not allow her to ask the maid directly, so she employed a spy to find the maid’s beauty secret.

A couple of days later, the princess was informed that the maid did nothing in particular to enhance her appeal, but her actions were peculiar in some ways. For instance, she would never wash her hands immediately after handling oil, kneading dough, cutting fruits and vegetables or even after whipping eggs. Instead she would wipe her hands over her head, face, arms and legs before washing her hands eventually. By the time the maid finished all her chores, her face, arms and legs would be caked with the residue of her kitchen work. She would have a refreshing bath using the humble besan with a pinch of turmeric after a tiring session in the kitchen and would come glowing to the palace, to work as the handmaiden of the princess. The princess became clearly jealous when the maid looked exquisitely pretty when the breeze caressed her, the warm sun kissed her and the tingling drizzle drenched her occasionally.

That was not all. The princess also discovered that eating right can show on the skin. The maid consumed a humble meal and popped in the peels and sometimes pieces of fruits and vegetables as she cut them for the royal house. She never really got to eat the fried delicacies and sweets, because they were reserved for the royalty. She walked up and down the palace doing her chores happily and gulped down several glasses of water to replenish her energy.

Those of us who want to explore simple and effective ways to tone, cleanse and shine our skin the natural way, will do well to take a leaf from the beauty secrets of our grandmothers and their grandmothers, who generally changed up their skincare routine prior to their weddings. Their beauty regime began with a laxative made from ground neem leaves or a teaspoon of castor oil, which was repeated once every ten days till the D-day. Not only did this practice detoxify them, but also made them healthier, lighter, lustrous and lithe. Once every three or four days, they would oil their bodies from head to toe, before washing it off with shikakai or besan. If you are thinking this is reserved only for the royalty or soon-to-be-married folks, you are wrong. You too can follow these home remedies for clear, fresh and smooth skin. If beautiful skin is your aim, use these remedies at least once a week.

* A brisk scrub can exfoliate dead cells clogging the pores of the skin. A teaspoon of turmeric powder mixed with a teaspoon of coconut oil rubbed on your face, neck, arms and feet for an hour before your daily bath, can leave your skin clean and glowing. You will no longer feel the need to use a moisturiser off the shelf because the coarse mixture would have done the job. This is a proven therapy which can prevent skin from ageing rapidly and can correct dry skin problems in the long run.

* If you have oily skin, add a dash of lime and a pinch of turmeric to milk cream and apply the mixture on your face and leave it for ten minutes before rinsing it off. The cream will retain the essential oils and the lime juice will eject excess oil while the turmeric will leave your face glowing. Alternately, equal proportions of sandalwood paste and turmeric along with a little rose water or plain water can be mixed and applied on the face, neck, arms and feet and left on for an hour or so before rinsing it off, to manage oily skin.

* Many women avoid using turmeric because it leaves a residual colour. Remember, regular application of turmeric can prevent skin infections, heal small cuts and abrasions and its carcinogenic property can keep skin cancer at bay. Make sure you buy kasturi turmeric which is used for cosmetic purpose. The turmeric powder used for cooking is sometimes doctored so that it looks just the right shade of chrome. This setback can be overcome if we are a little proactive. Use a mild soap to wash off traces of yellow, preferably half an hour after rinsing it off.

An alternative remedy could be the application of beaten egg yolk with honey over the face. Leave it on for twenty minutes and rinse off with warm water. It is also highly effective on oily skin with enlarged pores. The pulp of over-ripe bananas can be used as a face pack to achieve the same results.  
* If you happen to be dealing with acne, apply a teaspoon of lemon juice mixed with a spot of honey on the face and leave it for 20 minutes. Rinse off with warm water. Repeat the process once a week till you get rid of the spots. Don’t be surprised if you turn out a few shades lighter than what you were earlier.

A traditional oil bath followed by a massage at least once a fortnight can revive the skin and hair magically because it can relieve the mind of stress to a large extent. Make sure that all your meals consist of a generous helping of fruit and vegetable salads. Go slow on excessively oily food and bakery items. No matter what the weather, keep your body hydrated, by drinking plenty of water.

Make it a point to spend some time outdoors and allow your skin to get in touch with natural light and air. A bout of sweating can tease the dirt off your skin and help it breathe better. It can prove to be therapeutic both to your mind and body. If you follow this regime for three months at a stretch, you will be sought out for your “glow secret”!